Probably not, said Jim Lushine, a retired weather service meteorologist, and tornado expert. That’s because tornado winds are considerably more chaotic and because homes in South Florida are overall stronger than those in Oklahoma.

“Even though tornadoes and hurricanes might have the same maximum wind speeds, their damage to structures can be considerably different,” he said.

“A hurricane's wind speed is based on a one-minute average measured at a 30-foot elevation. Tornado wind speeds can only be estimated from the damage they leave behind,” Lushine explained.

Hurricane winds change direction relatively slowly and usually over several hours. Tornado winds, on the other hand, change direction rapidly, on the order of a few seconds. For that reason, a tornado puts more stress on a structure than a hurricane with the same wind speed.

“Tornado winds not only spin horizontally but also lift vertically, while hurricane winds usually do not,” Lushine said. “This uplift in a tornado puts tremendous stress on buildings, especially on roofs, and also throws debris great distances, which can damage other houses.”

The type of structure also plays a major role in damage potential. Most houses in the Midwest are wood-frame, rather than concrete block and stucco as found in South Florida.

Further, under tough building codes, revised in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, South Florida homes must be reinforced with rebar in the walls, connections between floor slabs, and ties between walls and roofing, among other things, Lushine said.

“So, when you see homes in Oklahoma completely flattened, the same damage would not likely occur here. That doesn't mean that there wouldn't be significant damage both to houses and other buildings,” he said.

In any case, the safest place in either a tornado or hurricane is in an interior room, preferably windowless, such as a closet or bathroom.

Hurricane season starts on June 1. Predictions so far call for a significantly busier season than normal.

The tornado that hit Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City, killed at least 24 people, injured 240 more and left more than 12,000 homes damaged or destroyed.

South Florida is most likely to see tornadoes during the summer months in association with strong thunderstorms. Yet the region tends to see the strongest tornadoes develop during the spring, when cold fronts can cause intense wind shear.

Robert Molleda, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami, said it would be unusual for a tornado stronger than an EF-2 (with winds between 111 and 130 mph) to develop in South Florida.

"You have to consider also that an EF-5 is a rare event anywhere," he said. "There have only been 58 EF-5 tornadoes in the United States since 1950."

That amounts to a fraction of the 1,200 tornadoes that develop on average per year nationwide, he added.

“The good news is that South Florida has never had an EF-5 intensity and very likely never will,” Lushine said. “Unlike northern climes, we don't usually have the weather ingredients, such as a clash of air masses and a strong jet stream overhead.”